Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary ductile deformation: Catalina-Rincon metamorphic core complex, southeastern Arizona

Bykerk-Kauffman, Ann; Jänecke, Susanne U.

doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<462:lctetd>2.0.co;2

Cited by 21 publications

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“…This lack of data is common in southeastern Arizona because faults commonly are poorly exposed, and fault‐related folding may not be apparent if only basement rocks are exposed (e.g., Nickerson et al, ). In southeastern Arizona, Laramide reverse faults and ductile fabrics, regardless of shortening style, are largely interpreted to have either east or northeast transport directions (e.g., Bykerk‐Kauffman & Janecke, ; Richard & Spencer, ; Waldrip, ). East‐directed compression may be more consistent with Sevier‐style, thin‐skinned deformation for the region, whereas east‐northeast‐directed compression is more indicative of Laramide‐style, thick‐skinned tectonics (Yonkee & Weil, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A proposed regional thrust sheet, ~6 km thick, is invoked to explain penetrative deformation observed in footwall rocks. This thrust is possibly thought to be linked to other reverse faults observed in the northern Catalina Mountains, such as the Edgar and Youtcy faults (locations 8 and 9 in Figure ), as suggested by northeast‐directed Laramide shear fabrics (Bykerk‐Kauffman & Janecke, ; Gehrels & Smith, ).…”

Section: Structural Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 93%

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Discovery of Major Basement‐Cored Uplifts in the Northern Galiuro Mountains, Southeastern Arizona: Implications for Regional Laramide Deformation Style and Structural Evolution

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Seedorff

2018

Tectonics

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The Laramide orogeny is poorly understood in southeastern Arizona, largely because of complex structural overprinting by mid-Cenozoic extension that occurred over large areas. This study integrates new geological mapping with previous work, combined with structural reconstructions and forward modeling, to determine the primary structural style, timing, evolution, and kinematics of Laramide shortening in the northern Galiuro Mountains. Cenozoic normal faulting in the study area is minor and has only resulted in up to 13°of eastward tilting, as indicated by the gentle dips of synextensional strata. Detailed mapping has revealed newly identified reverse fault systems measuring at least 50 km in combined strike length. Each major fault strikes north-northwest, dips moderately to the west, places older rocks on younger, and has related fault-propagation folds. Once restored to their original orientation, reverse faults range in dip from 38°to 47°. These moderate dips of faults combined with related folds, the significant degree of basement involvement, and cover sequence lacking obvious penetrative deformation indicate that these faults are thick-skinned, basement-cored uplifts. Forward modeling and Cenozoic erosion surfaces suggest regionally extensive Laramide-age tilting to the west-southwest and gentle folding, possibly caused by a regional-scale reverse fault underlying the study area. These results are consistent with the interpretation that Laramide shortening in southeastern Arizona was primarily characterized by thick-skinned tectonics. Kinematic indicators, folded basement rocks, north-northwest strikes of reverse faults, and lack of evidence for basin inversion suggest that preexisting basement faults and fabrics had little or no effect on the subsequent structural evolution.Plain Language Summary The Late Cretaceous to early Eocene Laramide orogeny was a period of crustal shortening in the North American Cordillera that involved two different styles of reverse faulting. One style involves low-angle thrusts that typically slip parallel to bedding planes in layered rocks, whereas the other style involves faults that cut across bedding at moderate angles and continue downward through underlying crystalline basement rock. In southeastern Arizona, the style of Laramide shortening is debated and not well understood, in part because most of the region has undergone subsequent Cenozoic extension that has significantly rotated, dismembered, and buried most faults formed during Laramide crustal shortening. This study examines a newly discovered set of Laramide reverse faults that extend for more than 50 km along strike and that have only been affected by minor extension. Results from field mapping and structural modeling indicate that these faults are basement-involved, moderate-angle reverse faults. Because the upper crustal architecture across the region is largely consistent, the region as a whole may be characterized by moderate-angle reverse faults. Thus, nearby Laramide faults that have been previously interpr...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Structural Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 93%

Discovery of Major Basement‐Cored Uplifts in the Northern Galiuro Mountains, Southeastern Arizona: Implications for Regional Laramide Deformation Style and Structural Evolution

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Seedorff

2018

Tectonics

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“…The model of oceanic detachment faults rooting in ductile levels is closely related to that developed for continental core complexes. Continental detachments are characterized by a wide (>250 m) zone of pervasive ductile deformation, and a progressive localization of the deformation with a transition to brittle deformation overprinting the previous ductile fabric [e.g., Miller et al , 1983; Bykerk‐Kauffman and Janecke , 1987; Lee and Lister , 1992; Mueller and Snoke , 1993]. Although high‐temperature ductilely deformed peridotites and gabbros have been sampled in proximity to oceanic detachments [e.g., Cannat et al , 1992; Jaroslow et al , 1996; Karson , 1999], they are mainly sampled along nearby transform valley walls and are probably associated with the transform fault instead of detachment faulting, although there is little information on the orientation of such deformation zones.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraints on deformation conditions and the origin of oceanic detachments: The Mid‐Atlantic Ridge core complex at 15°45′N

Escartı́n

Mével

MacLeod

et al. 2003

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

251

287

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[1] Deformed rocks sampled from a corrugated detachment fault surface near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (15°45 0 N) constrain the conditions of deformation and strain localization. Samples recovered in situ record deformation restricted to the cold (shallow) lithosphere (greenschist facies), with no evidence for significant high-temperature deformation either at the fault zone or in the footwall near it. High-temperature deformation (720-750°C) is observed only at two sites, and cannot be directly linked to the detachment. Detachment faulting was coeval with dyke intrusions that cross cut it, as demonstrated by the presence of undeformed and highly deformed diabase found in shear zones, and by the presence of chill margins in diabase against fault rock. Basalts are very scarce and restricted to clasts in breccias, with no evidence of pillows or extrusive structures. Gabbros crop out along mass-wasted and fault scarps structurally below the detachment. Footwall rocks show little or no deformation, due to strain localization along a narrow shear zone (<200 m) with fluid flow, as required to form talc-and amphibole schists after an ultramafic protolith. We speculate that the alteration front in a heterogeneous lithosphere may be a rheological boundary that may localize deformation during long periods of time. Our observations and other geological evidence elsewhere suggest that this detachment model limited to the cold (shallow) lithosphere is applicable to other corrugated surfaces along slow-and intermediate-spreading ridges. These observations preclude detachment models rooting in melt-rich zones (i.e., Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge) or recording high-temperature deformation. We infer that oceanic detachment faults (1) localize strain at T < 500-300°C, (2) persist during active magmatism, and (3) root at shallow rheological boundaries, such as a melt-rich zone or magma chamber (''hot'' detachments) or an alteration front (''cold'' detachments).

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“…Where such mapping was not undertaken, or where it accompanied by only a local study, the common resulting conclusion is of a single stage of gravity-generated detachment faults. In many other studies (Reynolds, 1980(Reynolds, , 1982Bykerk-Kauffman and Janeke, 1987), however, the multistaged development is recognized, with the Miocene detachment event being the last one. Even where no Paleozoic or Mesozoic cover rocks intervene between the brittlely deformed Tertiary deposits and ductily deformed basement rocks, the juxtaposition of these diverse styles of deformation must be viewed as enigmatic.…”

Section: Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 95%

Description and development of the Cordilleran orogenic belt in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico

Drewes¹

1991

Professional Paper

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The Cordilleran erogenic belt forms a continuous zone of compressive deformation of Late Jurassic to Eocene age resulting from collision of the converging North American plate with northeast Pacific plates. The segment of the belt between El Paso, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada, differs from adjacent segments in that subordinate tectonic zones are truncated along an unusual kind of frontal zone. This difference is believed to result from a combination of oblique collision of the deformation zones with the semicratonic Colorado Plateau block, the effects of pre-orogenic basement faults along the southwest margin of that block, southward tilting and deep erosion along this frontal segment, and overprinting of extensional tectonism. The style of deformation across this segment of the erogenic belt varies systematically. In the fold-and-thrust zone (northern Chihuahua, Mexico), folds are large, open to moderately tight, and only slightly inclined, but disharmonic, over (that is, truncated against) genetically related thrust faults and small backthrusts in Permian and Mesozoic rocks. In an eastern intermediate zone (southwestern New Mexico and southeasternmost Arizona), folds are smaller, tighter, and more markedly inclined northeastward toward related shingled thrust faults and larger backthrusts. Likely, detachment occurred along the top of the crystalline basement of Precambrian age. In a western intermediate zone (much of southeastern and central southern Arizona), many folds are also small and are strongly inclined northeastward toward related thrust faults, but some erosional remnants of larger folds involve major thrust plates. Locally, crystalline basement rocks occur in these major plates. In the hinterland zone, many folds are recumbent, and thrust faults are numerous and commonly are parallel to bedding in ductily deformed thin plates of Phanerozoic rock and to foliation in massive plates of basement rock. Areas of mild deformation of a foreland zone lie northeast of, and beneath the fold-and-thrust zone. They are viewed as being external to the main part of the erogenic belt because their faults probably are not continuous with those of the erogenic belt proper in the level of relatively brittle deformation. This zone extends across the Colorado Plateau and east to the Rocky Mountain front. The style and age of deformation in this zone and that of the fold-and-thrust zone are most typically the Laramide phase of the orogeny.

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Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary ductile deformation: Catalina-Rincon metamorphic core complex, southeastern Arizona

Cited by 21 publications

References 0 publications

Discovery of Major Basement‐Cored Uplifts in the Northern Galiuro Mountains, Southeastern Arizona: Implications for Regional Laramide Deformation Style and Structural Evolution

Discovery of Major Basement‐Cored Uplifts in the Northern Galiuro Mountains, Southeastern Arizona: Implications for Regional Laramide Deformation Style and Structural Evolution

Constraints on deformation conditions and the origin of oceanic detachments: The Mid‐Atlantic Ridge core complex at 15°45′N

Description and development of the Cordilleran orogenic belt in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico

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